Surat: The Special Operations Group (SOG) of Surat Police today apprehended four individuals, including a woman, for smuggling gold from Dubai to Surat. The woman, arriving from Sharjah, UAE, was found with gold worth Rs 64 lakh hidden in her travel bag.

Acting on a tip-off, the SOG intercepted the gang upon their arrival at Surat airport. Investigations revealed that the smugglers used a special chemical to prevent detection by airport metal detectors. The gold was layered inside the bag linings, disguised under a paper-like material, and covered with a black cloth. A jeweler was brought in to test the gold paste, which, when dissolved, yielded 927 grams of gold worth Rs 64,89,000.

The accused, identified as Naeem Saleh and his wife Umema Saleh, ingeniously concealed gold in paste form inside travel bags. The other accused are identified as Feroze Nur and the financier Abdul.

The accused, all natives of Mangrol village in Surat, had reportedly used this smuggling method previously. For their role as carriers, Naeem and Umema received Rs 15,000.

Customs officials have joined the investigation to uncover the broader smuggling network and the source of the gold in Dubai. Further actions will be taken following the remand of the accused. DeshGujarat